A driver who hit 500-year-old tree is fined 37,000 yuan by court. Photo:web

On Monday, a driver surnamed Ma from Liaocheng, East China's Shandong Province, collided with a 500-year-old ancient pagoda tree when driving a heavy truck to Qianyangfen village. As the tree carried the profound emotions of several generations in the village, the villagers demanded that Ma compensate them for a spiritual loss of 100,000 yuan ($14,519). As negotiations between the two sides failed, the villagers took Ma to court.

After an on-site investigation, the court ordered Ma to pay 37,000 yuan, including 5,000 yuan for spiritual damages. Some netizens expressed that a 500-year-old ancient tree is very precious, and its roots should already be connected to the village's land, and the fine is reasonable. However, some netizens argued that though compensation for damaging the ancient tree is necessary, the claim for spiritual damages may not be appropriate. Legal experts said that the judge may have taken the villagers' time and effort spent on protecting the ancient tree into account when ruling on the matter.